Week 4: Bills 23, Ravens 20

Week 4: Bills 23, Ravens 20

Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

What happened: It's a credit to the Ravens defense that this game wasn't as lopsided as the Denver loss. The team made mistakes all over the field -- in addition to Flacco's career-high five interceptions, there were dropped passes, missed tackles and questionable play calling, especially involving the running game, which had a historically bad afternoon. Performance of the game: The entire Bills defense contributed to this one, despite -- or maybe because of -- its youth. Third-year tackle Marcell Dareus dominated with seven tackles (five solo) and two sacks. Rookie Kiko Alonso had five tackles and two interceptions, and cornerback Aaron Williams, also in his third year, added two picks. Buffalo brought constant pressure, sacking Flacco four times and recording 12 hits on the quarterback. Turning point: Somehow, with a minute left to play, the Ravens still had a chance to win. Flacco had driven the offense to the Bills' 48 and was looking for at least a game-tying field goal. However, his third-and-8 pass intended for tight end Dallas Clark was deflected and then caught by a diving Alonso. Key stats: The Ravens ran the ball nine times -- the fewest in franchise history -- for 24 yards against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. Afterward, offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell said, "I don't think we ran it quite enough." Buffalo dominated time of possession 36:26 to 23:34. Bills running back Fred Jackson rushed for 87 yards and a score on 16 carries, a 5.4-yard average. Quote: "It's frustrating simply because we're not a team that does that and Joe's not a quarterback that typically makes picks," Torrey Smith said. "Joe didn't flinch at all. No one on offense flinched. We never doubted for a second that with the way our defense was playing, we [had] a chance to win the game."

What happened: It's a credit to the Ravens defense that this game wasn't as lopsided as the Denver loss. The team made mistakes all over the field -- in addition to Flacco's career-high five interceptions, there were dropped passes, missed tackles and questionable play calling, especially involving the running game, which had a historically bad afternoon. Performance of the game: The entire Bills defense contributed to this one, despite -- or maybe because of -- its youth. Third-year tackle Marcell Dareus dominated with seven tackles (five solo) and two sacks. Rookie Kiko Alonso had five tackles and two interceptions, and cornerback Aaron Williams, also in his third year, added two picks. Buffalo brought constant pressure, sacking Flacco four times and recording 12 hits on the quarterback. Turning point: Somehow, with a minute left to play, the Ravens still had a chance to win. Flacco had driven the offense to the Bills' 48 and was looking for at least a game-tying field goal. However, his third-and-8 pass intended for tight end Dallas Clark was deflected and then caught by a diving Alonso. Key stats: The Ravens ran the ball nine times -- the fewest in franchise history -- for 24 yards against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. Afterward, offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell said, "I don't think we ran it quite enough." Buffalo dominated time of possession 36:26 to 23:34. Bills running back Fred Jackson rushed for 87 yards and a score on 16 carries, a 5.4-yard average. Quote: "It's frustrating simply because we're not a team that does that and Joe's not a quarterback that typically makes picks," Torrey Smith said. "Joe didn't flinch at all. No one on offense flinched. We never doubted for a second that with the way our defense was playing, we [had] a chance to win the game." (Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun)

What happened: It's a credit to the Ravens defense that this game wasn't as lopsided as the Denver loss. The team made mistakes all over the field -- in addition to Flacco's career-high five interceptions, there were dropped passes, missed tackles and questionable play calling, especially involving the running game, which had a historically bad afternoon. Performance of the game: The entire Bills defense contributed to this one, despite -- or maybe because of -- its youth. Third-year tackle Marcell Dareus dominated with seven tackles (five solo) and two sacks. Rookie Kiko Alonso had five tackles and two interceptions, and cornerback Aaron Williams, also in his third year, added two picks. Buffalo brought constant pressure, sacking Flacco four times and recording 12 hits on the quarterback. Turning point: Somehow, with a minute left to play, the Ravens still had a chance to win. Flacco had driven the offense to the Bills' 48 and was looking for at least a game-tying field goal. However, his third-and-8 pass intended for tight end Dallas Clark was deflected and then caught by a diving Alonso. Key stats: The Ravens ran the ball nine times -- the fewest in franchise history -- for 24 yards against one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. Afterward, offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell said, "I don't think we ran it quite enough." Buffalo dominated time of possession 36:26 to 23:34. Bills running back Fred Jackson rushed for 87 yards and a score on 16 carries, a 5.4-yard average. Quote: "It's frustrating simply because we're not a team that does that and Joe's not a quarterback that typically makes picks," Torrey Smith said. "Joe didn't flinch at all. No one on offense flinched. We never doubted for a second that with the way our defense was playing, we [had] a chance to win the game."